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Officers of the
1st Battalion |
Officers of the
2nd Battalion |
2nd Battalion
signallers |
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Officers in
Ladysmith |
Officers in
Ladysmith (named) |
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1st Battalion
in Ceylon |
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Boer War
memorial |
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The 1st Battalion was commanded by Lt Col Wilford and was stationed at
Allahabad in Northern India in the summer of 1899. The 1st Battalion was one of the four sent from India between 16th and
30th September 1899. They were first engaged on 24th October at Rietfontein (see 1st Liverpool Regiment). The action was fought to
enable General Yule to reach Ladysmith unmolested. It was not intended
to press the attack home, but the Gloucesters got too far forward on
unfavourable ground on the left. They lost
Colonel Wilford killed, 1
other officer wounded, 7 men killed and 57 wounded.
To the battalion the 30th October was a disastrous day (for general
account of action see 1st Liverpool). It will be remembered that five
and a half companies of the Gloucesters with six companies of the 1st Royal
Irish Fusiliers were sent out under Colonel Carleton of the Fusiliers, with
Major Adye as staff officer, on the night of the 29th for the purpose of
seizing Nicholson's Nek. By the stampeding of the mules that point was
never reached, but the hill near which the stampede occurred, Cainguba, was
occupied. The reference to the action in Sir George White's despatch does not enter into details, merely stating that the force "strengthened the
position somewhat with breastworks, and remained unmolested till daybreak.
It was then found that the position was too large for them to adequately
occupy, and that only the most pronounced salients could be held". The
Boers surrounded the hill, and after several hours' fighting our men's
ammunition began to fail. The advanced parties were driven back, the
Boers gained the crest, whence they brought a converging fire "to bear from
all sides on our men crowded together in the centre, causing much loss.
Eventually it was seen that this position was untenable, and our force
hoisted a white flag and surrendered about 12.30 pm."
'The Times' historian (vol ii p 237) gives an admirably clear and
detailed account of the action, and in some respects it differs from the
despatch. The top of the hill is described as like a foot. The
heel at the south end was precipitous and easily defended; towards the
middle of the sole or tread there was a rise whence it sloped gently, and
the approaches on the north, north-west, and north-east easily afforded good
cover for attackers. Against the advice of the owner of the farm, who
was present, Major Adye, the staff officer, kept most of the troops at the
heel and comparatively few at the forepart, where they were needed. At
11.30 E and H companies of the Gloucesters were ordered by Major Humphery to
retire on another sangar. This seems to have been a fatal mistake, as
during the retirement one of the companies lost half its strength.
Colonel Carleton ordered the sangars evacuated to be reoccupied, but this
was found impossible. About 12.30 C company got what was understood to
be another order to retire, and again in withdrawing lost half their men.
Soon after this three officers of the Gloucesters, finding themselves
absolutely without men (except dead and wounded) and unable to see any other
part of the position, raised a white flag. The Boers stood up and came
forward, and after some hesitation Colonel Carleton came to the decision
that the whole force was bound by the white flag which had been shown.
'The Times' historian points out that the staff officer "repeatedly sent orders" that the men were not to fire "independent" but only volleys.
The value of volley - firing at single Boers darting from one rock to
another can be gauged by the least initiated. But we had to learn all
these lessons in the field, and had to pay a very high fee to our teachers.
The Gloucesters lost 33 men killed, 6 officers and about 75 men wounded.
See the account of the mens' imprisonment
by H Rummins.
Those of the battalion who were not with Carleton fought and suffered in
Ladysmith till the siege was raised. On 22nd December they had the
misfortune to lose 8 killed and 9 wounded by one shell from a Boer big gun.
After the relief the battalion took little active part in the campaign, and
between 21 - 24th August 1900 they were sent to Ceylon to guard the Boer prisoners.
They embarked on the Dilwara, Mongolian and Bavarian and landed between 5th
and 12th Sep 00. On 12th Sep 00, HQ and 6 Companies went to Echelon
Barracks, Colombo and 2 Companies went to Mount Lavinia.
In Lord Roberts' final despatch 11 officers and 16 non-commissioned officers
and men were mentioned; these embraced both battalions, but those mentioned
belonged chiefly to the 2nd Battalion.
In the summer of 1899, the 2nd Battalion was stationed at Aldershot and
was commanded by Lt Col
Lindsell. They sailed on the Cymric on 1st January 1900, and arrived at
Cape Town on the 21st. Along with the 2nd East Kent Regiment, 1st West
Riding Regiment, and 1st Oxford Light Infantry, they formed the 13th Brigade
under Brigadier General C E Knox, and part of the VIth Division under
Lieutenant General Kelly-Kenny. (See notes under
2nd East Kent)
The whole division did splendid work in the advance
from Modder River to Bloemfontein. At Klip Kraal the East Kent,
Gloucesters, and Oxford Light Infantry had sharp fighting with Cronje's
rear-guard. On the 18th at Paardeberg the Gloucesters were not so
seriously engaged as many other battalions, but between the 18th and 28th
they did good work in seizing positions of importance, and driving back the
Boer reinforcements. Their losses were about 6 killed and 20 wounded,
including Colonel Lindsell.
The correspondent of the Press Association, whose work was generally very
reliable, telegraphing from Paardeberg on 26th February said: "Last Monday
night (19th) a brilliant piece of work was performed by the Gloucesters.
During the afternoon they approached within a short distance of a Boer kopje
and contained the enemy until nightfall, when 120 men charged the kopje with
bayonets and drove off the Boers with loss, bayoneting several". On
28th February Lord Roberts wired: "Cronje with his family left here
yesterday in charge of Major General Prettyman, and under an escort of the
City Imperial Volunteers' Mounted Infantry. Later in the day the
remaining prisoners left under the charge of the Earl of Errol, and escorted
by the Gloucester Regiment and 100 City Imperial Volunteers". The
Gloucesters soon rejoined the main army to take part in some further hard
marching and fighting.
At Driefontein on 10th March 1900 the 13th Brigade had the toughest of the
work, and although the Gloucesters were not in the original first line, they
did their part splendidly, and had again about 5 killed and 20 wounded.
Three officers were mentioned in Lord Roberts' despatch of 31st March 1900.
On 22nd November 1900, when De Wet made his famous rush south, he snapped up
on his way the garrison of Dewetsdorp, consisting of three companies of the
2nd Gloucesters, one company of the Highland Light Infantry, and some of the
2nd Royal Irish Rifles, so that both battalions of the regiment have had the
nasty experience of losing a large proportion of their men in surrenders.
Three men of the battalion were mentioned in Lord Kitchener's despatch of
8th March 1901, presumably for gallantry at Dewetsdorp.
In 1901 the battalion furnished about three companies as the infantry of a
column which operated in the Orange River Colony under Colonel Henry.
The Mounted Infantry company of the battalion saw a good deal of fighting,
and gained several "mentions". In the final despatch of Lord Kitchener
4 officers and 6 non-commissioned officers of the battalion were mentioned.
As to mentions by Lord Roberts, reference is made to the notes under the 1st
Battalion.
